Former Ambassador Hoffman on RPOF Chairman’s Race

Former Ambassador Al Hoffman who is a big GOP fundraiser and supporter of John Thrasher over Sharon Day responds to Chris Ingram’s question: “If Sharon Day wins, will you assist her with fundraising for the RPOF and GOP candidates, or would you (as a lot of Thrasher supporters are suggesting would happen among a lot of the state’s GOP money raisers) sit on the sidelines and not help with fundraising for the party?

Irreverent View exclusive — Former Ambassador Al Hoffman who is a big GOP fundraiser and supporter of John Thrasher over Sharon Day responds to Chris Ingram’s question: “If Sharon Day wins, will you assist her with fundraising for the RPOF and GOP candidates, or would you (as a lot of Thrasher supporters are suggesting would happen among a lot of the state’s GOP money raisers) sit on the sidelines and not help with fundraising for the party?

Ambassador Hoffman’s verbatim reply:

Chris, this is all on the record.

I told Sharon Day that I like both candidates, and I have no reason to doubt that she would make a good chairman. Her passion and commitment to real Republican values would put her in good standing to lead the party at the grass roots level–with the ground game–and with donors as well. I can’t believe that donors wouldn’t rally around any newly and properly elected qualified chair–and that would include Sharon.

Importantly, and mission critical, any chair should publicly pledge to support the effort for new, formally codified, and implemented governance rules for the chairman’s office–that should be a condition of election and I hope both candidates would make that pledge on the 20th. Like any organization, these are absolutely necessary to define limits of authority between the chair and the executive committee. In that way the executive committee would have true oversight, just like a board of directors in a corporation. All actions of the chair should be transparent to the executive committee, not necessarily the public. While plans and strategy can be confidential from the public, there can be no such principle of confidentiality–only total transparency– between the chair and the executive committee. This requires action, not lip service!!

As to the details of the resignation, being bound by a confidentiality clause not to disclose to the executive committee the details of an agreement —-in which agreement the negotiators were representing the executive committee and the Party in the first place— simply defies logic and renders any theoretical agreement false on its face. Whatever severance agreement or understanding that Greer might claim was reached should be publicly disavowed by the new chair immediately because of this but also because of the post resignation discovery of Greer’s failure himself to disclose even more significant violations of trust.

Al Hoffman is the former ambassador to Portugal appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005. He is the former national finance director for the Republican National Committee. He and his wife live in North Palm Beach.

Irreverent View appreciates Ambassador Hoffman’s remarks. We call on all candidates for RPOF positions (as well as current committee members) to call for, and demand the reforms Ambassador Hoffman suggests. He is a true patriot and is to be commended for speaking out about the current state of affairs within the RPOF with such objectivity.

5 thoughts on “Former Ambassador Hoffman on RPOF Chairman’s Race”

I couldnot agree more that reforms are in order at the party HQ. The question is will Thrasher bring about these reforms or will he stick with his friends in the legislature who do not want reforms and who want more control of the party by the elected officials? I think probably the latter and for that reason I intend to vote for Sharon Day. I just dont think John Thrasher has the integrity to do right. He is more about keeping his friends happy.

I have been a Republican voter my entire life and have been voting for almost 40 years. During that time I voted for a Democrat four times and once it was for my cousin who was running in a local race as a D. That said, I am disgusted with the Florida GOP and the Republicans in Congress. While the Dems aren’t any better (they’re worse actually), I intend to vote against every incumbent this year regardless of party.As for the Florida GOP I think they need a house cleaning and I have sent a message to my party chair and committee members to support Sharon Day because she is the only hope for any real reforms within the part. If the party elects Thrasher it will be more of the same and we will continue to be the laughing stock of the nation.